Surgical appliance.



PATENTED JUNE 16, 1.903.

- L. G. TANDY.

SURGICAL APPLIANCE.

.APPLIO'ATION I-ILBD 00w. 11, 1902.

10 MODEL.

Mze I Patented June 16, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS G. TANDY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

' SURGICAL APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,083, dated June 16, 1903.

Application filed October ll, 1902. Serial l lo-126,814. (No model.)

To all whom, it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS G. TANDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St'. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Surgical Appliances, of which the following is a specificalion.

My invention relates to asurgical appliance for treating fractures of the long bones of the human body. In the ordinary treatment of such cases the patient being placed in a recumbent position the fractured limb properly bandaged is held in suspension by a cord, which passes obliquely upward from the limb over a pulley havingits pivotal bearing fixed to the ceiling or other-convenient overhead support, the return portion of the cord depending vertically from the pulley and having a weight at its free end, whereby more or less extension strain is imparted to the limb according to the angle of the inclined portion of the cord with the vertical.

My invention has forits object to maintain a constant relation, both as to direction and degree, between the suspension and extension strains on the limb whatever position the latter may assume.

The invention consists in features of novcity, as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, whereon- Figure l is a side elevation of my improved surgical appliance as arranged for treating a fracture of the long bone of a human leg; Fig. 2, a part plan thereof; Fig. 3, a top plan, to enlarged scale,of one of the clamps preferably used for securing the upper bar of the appliance to the head and foot rails of an invalid-bed; Fig. 4, a cross-section, to enlarged scale, through the upper bar on line 4 tin Figs. 1 and 3, showing the clamp in front elevation or at right angles to Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a cross-section, to enlarged scale, through the rod dependent from the upper bar on line 5 5 in Fig. 1; Fig. (i, a side view thereof; Fig. 7, a cross-section, to enlarged scale, through the roller-carriage forming part of the appliance on line 7 7 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 8 a

bedstead a, according to circumstances.

a represents an invalid or hospital bed on which the patientis assumed to be recumbent, with the fractured leg b in position for treatment. Across and extending between the top rails 1 of the head and foot portions of the frame of the bed a is a bar 0, which is removably secured to the rails l by suitable clamps d. Each clamp d consists,preferably, of two parallel hooks 2, which are adapted to engage the under side of the rail 1, one on each side of the bar a, and having their shanks 3 united to each other above the bar 0 by a cross-piece 4. Through the cross-piece 4 is a set-screw 5, which when screwed home againstv the top of the bar a constrains the hooks 2 intoengagement with the rail 1, andthereby securely clamps the bar 0 to the frame of the bed a. Other suitablemeans may be used for securing the bar '0 to the For instance, in the case of an ordinary wooden bedstead the bar 0 maybe clamped to auxiliary scantlings temporarily strapped to the head and foot boards of the bedstead at the necessary height from the patient recumbent thereon,in which case the hooks 2 are straightened at right angles to their shanks 3, and thereby adapted to engage the under side of the scantlings. The bar a in some cases may be strapped directly to the bedstead without the use of clamps.

Along the bar 0 is adapted to travel a rollercarriage e, which consists, preferably, of two opposite and parallel triangular-shaped plates 6, arranged at a suitable distance apart, one on each side of the bar 0, and secured together at two corners, respectively, by a pin 7, on which between the plates 6 is axially mounted a roller 8, having its periphery grooved or otherwise adapted for bearing on the top portion of the bar a. The plates 6 are held together at the other or lower corner below the bar 0 by a removable pin 9, to which is coupled the upper endof the suspension-cord f, which depends vertically from the roller-carriage e and is attached at its lower and preferably bifurcated end to the bandage of the fractured leg I) at the knee or adjacent thereto, the leg I) being thereby held in suspension at the desired distance from the bed a. To the stirrup-bandage straddling the foot of the leg 2) is attached one end of the extension-cord g, which passes horizontally to the outside of the foot of the bed a and over a pulley h adjacent thereto, the return portion of the cord 9 depending vertically from the pulley h and having a weight 2' at its free end. The pulley h is preferably axially pivoted to a sleeve or bracket is, which is vertically adjustable and adapted to slide along a rod Z, depending from the bar a. The rod Z and sleeve 70 may be dispensed with in case of emergency and the pulley h pivoted to any convenient fixture or support adjacent to the foot of the bed a. By this arrangement when the leg I) is shifted into, say, the position indicated by broken lines in Fig. l the roller-carriage e is constrained by the cord f to travel along the bar 0 in the same direction and is thereby adjusted to its original position relatively to the cord f and leg I), as indicated by the broken lines, or, in other words, the suspension-eord f is maintained in the vertical position and the corresponding strain on the leg I) rendered constant in whatever direction the leg I) is shifted. Also as the legb is shifted the extension-cord g maintains its horizontal direction and tautness by the adjustable action of the weight i-and its pulley h.

By this invention, which is also admirably adapted for treating the fractured long bones of the arm, the relative degrees of suspension and extension strains on the fractured limb can be accurately set andinvariably maintained.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a surgical appliance of the character described, the combination with an invalidbed, of a bar, means for fixing the bar to the frame of the bed, a roller-carriage adapted to travel along the bar, a cord vertically connecting the roller-carriage to the bandage of the fractured limb, a pulley pivoted to a suitable support adjacent to the bed, a cord attached to the said bandage and passing therefrom horizontally over, and dependent from the said pulley, and having a weight at its free end, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a surgical appliance of the character described, the combination with an invalidbed, of a bar, means for fixing the bar to the frame of the bed, a roller-carriage adapted to travel along the bar, a cord vertically connecting the roller-carriage to the bandage of the fractured limb, a rod dependent from the bar, a sleeve adjustabiy fixed to the rod, a pulley pivoted to the sleeve, a cord attached to the said bandage and passing therefrom horizontally over, and dependent from the said pulley and having a weight at its free end, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS G. TANDY;

Witnesses:

G. L. BELFRY, EDWARD W. FURRELL. 

